College Place approves Sixth and Birch improvement project following under-budget bids
By Dan Thesman on Thursday, March 12th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
COLLEGE PLACE – The College Place City Council unanimously approved a $2.69 million contract Tuesday for the Southeast Sixth Street and Southeast Birch Avenue improvements project, awarding the bid to Apollo Inc. after the bid came in significantly under budget.
Public Works Director Robert McAndrews informed the council that the engineer’s estimate was originally over $3.2 million. However, all nine responsive bids were lower, with Apollo’s winning bid of $2.24 million, sitting roughly $1 million below initial projections. McAndrews attributed the competitive pricing to a “hungry” contracting market.
The consolidated project will reconstruct Southeast Birch Street from Southeast Fourth Street to Southeast Sixth Street, adding sidewalks and replacing aged water, sewer, and storm infrastructure.
Additional utility work is slated for Southeast Sixth Street between Elm and Bade. Councilmember Melodie Williams noted the project’s long history, mentioning it originated years ago as a Walla Walla University student design proposal. Construction is expected to begin following the formal notice of award.
Map provided by the city of College Place
